Display container

ABSTRACT

A package or container for articles such as light bulbs having pointed ends with a somewhat larger intermediate portion, in which the article is at least partially visable in the package and in which the article is engaged by its upper and lower ends and is held in the package by such engagement preferably without contact between the sidewalls of the package and the intermediate portions of the article thereby providing a cushioning effect for the article within the package.

I United States Patent 1 11 3,857,481 Koltz Dec. 31, 1974 DISPLAY CONTAINER 3,255,879 6/1966 Paige 229/39 B 3,282,410 11/1966 C te 206 45.14 [761 lnvenm Irvmg 28 Llvlflgsmn 3,734,397 /1973 C te /39 B Rd., N0. 50, Toronto, Ontario, 1 1 Canada Primary ExaminerWilliam 1. Price [22] Filed: Mar. 19, 1973 Assistant Examiner-Steven E. Lipman [21] Appl. No.: 342,443

[57] ABSTRACT [52] CL 206/ 14 206/45 31 206/418 A package or container for articles such as light bulbs 229/39 having pointed ends with a somewhat larger interme- [51] Int CL Bd 5/50 365d /42 diate portion, in which the article is at least partially [58] Field of "206/45 14 2 19 45 31 visable in the package and in which the article is enh 2 1; gaged by its upper and lower ends and is held in the package by such engagement preferably without [56] References Cited contact between the sidewalls of the package and the UNITED STATES PATENTS Mackenzie 206/418 X 7/1960 Williamson 206/419 X intermediate portions of the article thereby providing a cushioning effect for the article within the package.

6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures DISPLAY CONTAINER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Articles such as electric light bulbs, and particularly those bulbs having pointed ends such as so called candelabra bulbs have usually been packaged in conventional rectangular tubular containers. Such containers have various drawbacks. For example, they completely cover the article so that it cannot be seen while in the package.

Accordingly, it is necessary to print the outside of the package with some form of indexing and marking means so as to indicate to the sales clerk the particular size and type and electrical power consumption. Also it is necessary to print up many different forms of such packages, and then to ensure that the right bulbs are packaged in the corresponding packages.

In addition, such tubular rectangular packages are usually made so that the flat side walls of the rectangular tube bear against the widest part of the bulb, i.e., the middle of the bulb, and the two ends, i.e., the pointed upper end and the screw in shank do not generally speaking bear upon the walls of the package at all. As a result, even a slight blow on the side of the package is transmitted directly to the widest point of the bulb and may result in damage.

Similarly, since the two ends are not secured in the package, the bulb can slide to and fro. To overcome these disadvantages it is usual to provide some form of circular support or liner within the package to cushion the article, and/or secure its ends.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an objective of the invention to provide a package or container for light bulbs, and other articles, of the type described in which the article has pointed ends and a somewhat larger intermediate portion, in which the article is at least partially visible through the package, and in which the article is en gaged by its upper and lower ends, and is held in the package by such engagement, preferably without contact between the side walls of the package and the intermediate portions of the article, thereby providing a cushioning effect for the article within the package.

Preferably, in accordance with the invention, such a package will comprise a container for an article having pointed ends, and having a generally rectangular tubular shape in section, defining four generally rectangular side walls joined together along fold lines and further having two unfolded flap panels, each of said panels being constituted by symmetrical portions of two adjacent said side walls struck out therefrom and opening means formed in said flap panels to receive said pointed ends of said article and support the same within the said package, the panels remaining joined to their respective side walls by V-shaped fold lines and, when folded inwardly into the package, forming an hexagonal opening or window in said adjacent side walls thereof.

More particularly, it is an objective of the invention to provide a package having the foregoing advantages in which the inturned flap panels engage the other two side walls of the package, so as to hold the same in its rectangular configuration, thereby providing a further cushioning effect by internal reinforcement of the package.

The foregoing and other advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention which is given here with reference to the following drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front perspective illustration of the container according to the invention showing a light bulb therein in phantom;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the container of FIG. 1, and,

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a blank of cardboard or other packaging material shown laid out flat prior to assembly into the form shown in FIGS. II and 2.

DESCRIPTION OF A SPECIFIC EMBODIMENT As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2., a container 10 for a pointed article such as a light bulb B, shown in phantom, will be seen to comprise a generally open ended rectangular tubular structure having generally rectangular back walls 11 and 12 and rectangular front walls 13 and 14. The back wall 11 is provided with a glue flap 15 glued to the joining inner surface of the other back wall 12.. The respective walls are joined together by parallel fold lines 16, 17, 18 and 19 forming the four corners of the hollow rectangular tubular structure.

In order to support the bulb B, or other such article, within the package 10, upper and lower inturned flap panels 20 and 21 are provided. Each of the flap panels 20 and 21 is formed by cutting identical symmetrical portions of material out of the front rectangular panels 13 and 14. In order to form the panels 20 and 21, the blank as shown in FIG. 3 is cut in the form of the letter H along the lines 22-22 and the line 23. V-shaped fold lines 24 are formed at opposite ends of the panels 20 and 21, the apex of the V coinciding with the fold line 18, which symmetrically divides each of the panels 20 and 21.

In this way, the panels 20 and 21 can be inturned and folded inwardly into the interior of the tubular container 10, such an infolding action also causing the panels 20 and 21 to fold together along the fold line 18. Preferably, the length of the cuts or incisions 22, and the size of the panels 20 and 21 is so arranged that the free inner corners of the panels 20 and 21 contact the rear walls 11 and 12 of the container 10 when in their infolded position, thereby stressing and reinforcing the container 10 from the inside.

In order to retain an article such as a light bulb B within the container 10 suitable incisions or openings 25 and 26 are formed. These openings may be simply in the form of circular holes punched through the material, or may take the form of a plurality of incisions 27 which permit the material in the panel 20 or 21 to open up and receive a somewhat larger portion of one or other end of the article such as the bulb B.

The bulb B or other article is inserted simply by pushing the pointed ends into their respective openings 25 and 26, the material of the flaps 20 and 21 being sufficiently flexible that it will be deflected slightly to permit the introduction of the article such as the bulb B, and then will spring back and hold it securely. The flaps 20 and 21 clearly cannot release the bulb B unless a purchaser either destroys the package or alternatively presses one or other of the flaps 20 or 21 away from the end of the article B.

In this way, the article B is suspended within the container 10, without any contact with the side walls ll, 12, 13 and 14, the article being suspended in a more or less elastic resilient form of suspension by means of the panels 20 and 21 within the interior of the container 10, thereby affording a very substantial degree of protection from damage. At the same time, any information printed on the article B will readily be visible through the hexagonal opening formed in the two front side walls 13 and 14 by the infolding of the two flaps 20 and 21.

Clearly, without any major modification, the package could be adapted for the support of more conventional types of light bulbs for example by altering the shape of the opening 25 or 26 or alternatively by increasing the number of incisions 27 to suit the more rounded end of a conventional light bulb.

Clearly, the package 10 could also be adapted to support a variety of different articles having rounded or egg shaped ends.

For the purposes of this description, therefore, the term pointed ends is deemed to include any and all such articles whether the ends are drawn into a fine point, and whether or not the ends may be rounded or in some way provided with a reduced dimension as compared with intermediate portions of such an article, and the term pointed is to be so understood wherever the same is used in the specification and claims herein.

The foregoing is a description of a preferred embodiment of the invention which is given here by way of example only. The invention is not to be taken as limited to any of the specific features as described, but comprehends all such variations thereof which come within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A package for packaging articles having upper and lower ends which are of reduced dimension in relation to intermediate portions of the article, said package comprising;

a tubular member of generally rectangular cross section, and having width and breadth dimensions greater than the cross section or dimension of said intermediate portion of said article, and defining four generally planar side walls;

upper and lower suspension flap means formed by symmetrical portions of a pair of adjacent said side walls, each of said suspension flap means being divided symmetrically in two by a single fold line;

generally V-shaped fold lines joining each of said suspension flap means to its respective pair of side walls, said flap means being dimensioned and arranged whereby, when the same are infolded into said tubular member, portions thereof extend across the interior of said container, and contact the other pair of said side walls, thereby to maintain said tubular member in its rectangular configuration, and,

article retaining openings formed in said suspension flap means, and adapted and dimensioned to receive respective upper and lower ends of said article, and to support said article within said tubular member, with its intermediate portions free of contact with said side walls thereof.

2. A package for packaging articles as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said flap means is defined by forming two parallel incisions, one in each of said pair of adjacent side walls, parallel to the longitudinal axis of said tubular member, and a transverse incision joining said two parallel incisions at their mid points, midway between the two ends of said tubular member.

3. A package for packaging articles as claimed in claim 2 including circular openings formed in each of said flap members for reception of respective ends of said article therein, said circular opening being symmetrical with respect to said single fold line formed in said flap means, the diameters of said circular opening being so arranged in relation to the diameters of said ends to be received therein that insertion of said article into said openings in said flap means within said tubular member will deflect said flap means and cause resilient pressure to be applied thereby to the other two said side walls of said tubular member.

4. A package as claimed in claim 3, including incisions formed adjacent to one said circular openings, to permit said circular opening to open up and extend to receive a portion of its respective said end of greater diameter than said circular opening.

5. A package as claimed in claim 1, including circular openings formed in said flap members for reception of respective ends of said article therein, the diameters of said circular openings being so arranged in relation to the diameters of said ends to be received therein that insertion of said article into said openings in said flap means within said tubular member will deflect said flap means and cause resilient pressure to be applied thereby to the other two said side walls of said tubular member.

6. A package for packaging articles as claimed in claim 3, including incisions formed adjacent to one of said circular openings, to permit said circular opening to open up and extend to receive a portion of its respective said end of greater diameter than said circular opening. 

1. A package for packaging articles having upper and lower ends which are of reduced dimension in relation to intermediate portions of the article, said package comprising; a tubular member of generally rectangular cross section, and having width and breadth dimensions greater than the cross section or dimension of said intermediate portion of said article, and defining four generally planar side walls; upper and lower suspension flap means formed by symmetrical portions of a pair of adjacent said side walls, each of said suspension flap means being divided symmetrically in two by a single fold line; generally V-shaped fold lines joining each of said suspension flap means to its respective pair of side walls, said flap means being dimensioned and arranged whereby, when the same are infolded into said tubular member, portions thereof extend across the interior of said container, and contact the other pair of said side walls, thereby to maintain said tubular member in its rectangular configuration, and, article retaining openings formed in said suspension flap means, and adapted and dimensioned to receive respective upper and lower ends of said article, and to support said article within said tubular member, with its intermediate portions free of contact with said side walls thereof.
 2. A package for packaging articles as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said flap means is defined by forming two parallel incisions, one in each of said pair of adjacent side walls, parallel to the longitudinal axis of said tubular member, and a transverse incision joining said two parallel incisions at their mid points, mid-way between the two ends of said tubular member.
 3. A package for packaging articles as claimed in claim 2 including circular openings formed in each of said flap members for reception of respective ends of said article therein, said circular opening being symmetrical with respect to said single fold line formed in said flap means, the diameters of said circular opening being so arranged in relation to the diameters of said ends to be received therein that insertion of said article into said openings in said flap means within said tubular member will deflect said flap means and cause resilient pressure to be applied thereby to the other two said side walls of said tubular member.
 4. A package as claimed in claim 3, including incisions formed adjacent to one said circular openings, to permit said circular opening to open up and extend to receive a portion of its respective said end of greater diameter than said circular opening.
 5. A package as claimed in claim 1, including circular openings formed in said flap members for reception of respective ends of said article therein, the diameters of said circular openings being so arranged in relation to the diameters of said ends to be received therein that insertion of said article into said openings in said flap means within said tubular member will deflect said flap means and cause resilient pressure to be applied thereby to the other two said side walls of said tubular member.
 6. A package for packaging articles as claimed in claim 3, including incisions formed adjacent to one of said circular openings, to permit said circular opening to open up and extend to receive a portion of its respective said end of greater diameter than said circular opening. 